Starter for internal-combustion engines



1.1. HENDLEY.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JUN: 2o. I9I9.

' 1,316,889. Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

JOI-IN JAMES HENDLEY, 0F BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA..

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-CCMBUSTXON ENGINES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23,A 1919.

Substitute for application Serial No. 215,034, led February 2, 1918. This application filed June 20, 1,919. Serial No. 305.626.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HENDLEY, a citizen of the United States, residingat Brunswick, in the county of Glynn and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starters for InternaLCombustion Engines, originally set forth and described in an application for Letters Patent 0f the United States filed February 2, 1918, Serial No. 215,031.1; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in safety devices for use in initially starting or cranking engines of the internal combustion type.

One method of imparting the initial movement to an internal combustion or explosive type of engine consists in providing a manually operated crank havingl a clutch member adapted to engage a mating clutch member carried by the engine shaft. The manipulation of this crank in starting an engine is attended with certain dangers due to premature explosions or back tiring which acts to quickly reverse the engine shaft and in turn swing the starting crank in a reverse direction oftentimes causing serious injury to the operator.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome this danger incidental to cranking, and to that end my improved cranking mechanism consists in the production of a safety device associated with the usual crank for disengaging the same from the engine shaft in case of back firing or premature explosions.

Another object of my invention is to produce a safety cranking mechanism for automobile engines and the like, in which the starting crank is positively uncoupled from the engine shaft in case of backfring, by the operation of a cam which when locked against movement serves to direct a roller carried by the starting crank, thereby longitudinally rctracting the crank from operative engagement with the engine shaft.

Another Object of the present invention is the production of a safety cranking mechanism capable of being` readily applied to any well known type of explosive engine in an easy and effective manner, and at a relatively low cost, A

Vith these and other objects in view the invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims. l

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of my invention, and in which corresponding reference characters designate similar parts:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved safety device as applied to an ordinary starting crank of an automobile engine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional View through the ratchet, cam and copcrating rollers, showing the position thereof when the starting crank is in engagement with'the engine shaft.

The present invention includes the usual starting crank which may be normally retracted from engagement with the clutch of the engine shaft, in any well known man ner, such for example as by means of a spring, and a safety mechanism contained in a casing suitably supported in any manner in proximity to the` engine shaft.

The safety mechanism comprises a fixed ratchet, and a cam relatively movable with the crank when starting the engine, the said cam being provided with a series of pawls coperatively associated with the ratchet. A series of rollers loosely mounted upon a support secured to the starting crank, cooperate with the several cam surfaces formed on the cam.

Referring` particularly to the drawings, the casing 1 of the safety device is provided with lugs 2 through openings 3 of which suitable bolts may pass in securing the safety device to the framework in proximity to the cnginc shaft. The safety device is located sufficiently near the protruding clutch end 4 of the engine shaft, so as to insure the ready engagement of the clutch end 5 of the usual starting crank 6 therewith in initially turning over the engine.

Secured to the casing by means of bolts 7 is the circumferentially toothed member or ratchet 8. The lugs 2 are shown as` formed integral with the ratchet. While illustrated as being of this construction it will be understood that various changes in the formation and arrangement of these lugs may be resorted to. The starting cra-nk 6 is free to revolve in an opening formed in the ratchet 8. Y

Coperatively associated with the ratchet 8 are a series'of spring parts 9 pivotally Vsurfaces 15.

secured at 10 to the cam 11. Springs 12 are secured to one arm of each of the pawls 9, and suitable pins 13. The purpose of these springs is to insure the engagement of the pawls with the teeth of the ratchet 8.

The cam 11 is freely mounted upon the starting crank 6 and is arranged adjacent the ratchet. rThis cam consists of a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending arms 14.v Between these spaced arms and upon one side thereof are curved cam These surfaces extend from the outer ends of the arms 14 to the succeeding protruding arm. Straight sides 16 are also provided on the arms 14.

Between the cam surfaces 15 and the straight sides 16 of adjacent arms 14, a series of rollers 17 are designed to operate. These rollers are loosely mounted upon stud bolts 1 8 extending from a carrier disk or support 19 secured to the starting crank 6,

' by means of the pin 20.

The rollers 17 are preferably grooved as shown, and are arranged to operatively engage the slightly curved edges of the cam surfaces 15 and straight sides 16 of the arms 14, as will presently appear.

A spring 21 is interposed 'between the casing 1 and a pin 22 extending through the starting crank 6, fornormally disengaging the said crank from the engine shaft. When starting the engine the tension of this spring is overcome and the crank 6 with its clutch member is forced into engagement with the mating clutch member 4 provided on the engine shaft.

1n operation the starting crank 6 is gripped and pushed inwardly until the clutch members 4 and 5 are coupled together. Upon turning the crank to initially revolve the engine shaft, it will be seen that the carrier disk or support 19 will Vbringthe Vrollers 17 into contact with the lstraight sides 16 of cam 11. A continued movement of the crank serves to freely revolve this cam 11 with it, the pawls 9 riding'over the Y teeth of the ratchet.

In the/event of a premature explosion or backfire at which time the engine shaft is quickly reversed, the crank 6 also begins to swing back. The reversal of the crank 6 immediately brings the rollers 17 in operative contact with the cam surfaces 15 of the cam 11. An attempted reversal of the cam 11 is immediately prevented by reason of the pawls 9 dropping into effective enthat the starting crank will be immediately uncoupled Afrom the engine shaft in the event of a premature explosion in the cylinder of the engine, and that such uncoupling will be accomplished irrespective of the position of the starting crank and the portion of the stroke at which the explosion may occur.

It will also be seen that the crank 6 and the associated safety device is unaffected by the disengagement,that is to say, the starting crank can be immediately gripped subsequent to such back firing and the engine initially turned over again for starting.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a simple, durable and efficient mechanism has been produced in which all friction and mechanical complication of the several elements is reduced to a minimum. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A safety cranking device for explosive engines, including. in combination a crank adapted to engage the shaft of said engine for imparting an initial movement thereto, and means for disengaging said crank upon the operation of the engine in a reverse dicrank, means for locking said cam upon the reversal of the engine, and a roller carried by said crank and coperatively associated with said cam.

2. A safety cranking device for explosive engines, including in combination a crank adapted to engage the shaft of said engine for imparting an initial movement thereto, and means for disengaging said crank upon the operation of the engine in a reverse direction to the said initial movement, said means comprising a cam having a curved edge, a paw] carried by said cam for locking said cam upon the reversal of the engine, and a. roller carried by said crank and cooperatively associated with the aforesaid curved edge of the cam.

3. A safety cranking device for explosive engines, including in Vcombination a? crank adapted to engage the shaft ofsaid engine for imparting an initial movement thereto, and means for disengaging said crank upon the operation of the engine in a reverse direction to the said initial movement, said f means comprising a multi-surface cam having each surface thereof providedK with a curved edge, means for locking the cam l upon the reversal of the engine, and a series of grooved rollers carried by the crank each of which is coperatively associated With one of the curved edges of the multi-surfaces' of the aforesaid cam.

4. A safety cranking device for explosive engines, including in combination a' crank adapted to engage the shaft of said engine for imparting an initial movement thereto, and means for disengaging said crank upon the operation of the engine in a reverse direction to the said initial movement, said means comprising a relatively fixed ratchet, a cam having a plurality of circumferentially arranged arms having curved edges, a pawl carriec by said cam adapted to engage said ratchet upon the reversal of the engine for holding said cam in fixed relation with said ratchet, and a series of concentrically arranged rollers having grooves therein adapted to ride upon the aforesaid curved edges of the said circumferentially arranged arms of the cam.

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. J OHN JAMES HENDLEY. Witnesses:

WM. E. DYRE, M. D. BALLAUF.

(opies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

